+I am a commuting student, how could I possibly find the time to get involved?
Travelling to and from campus takes up a lot of time, and let’s face it, after a long day of classes all you really want to do is to get home and get it over with.
The best way is to use the breaks in your day is to go to the library, or another study location on campus where you can complete your work, or a large chunk of it. By doing this you take care of your academics and free up your time; you will probably find that studying and working on campus is more productive than the work you do at home. Many of the things that you get involved with will provide you with dinner, so this way you are not always going to be on the hook for the food bill! The downside is that often you will not get home until late, but the bus service to most areas is quite good, and if you already have your work done then you can get home and relax.
With a little bit of time management you as a commuting student can become a part of the campus community and experience campus life in the best way.
+I enjoy working with charitable organizations, how can I get involved with these types of initiatives at UBC?
Students here at UBC are incredibly involved and socially aware, and there are plenty of opportunities for you to help others. One of the coolest groups that you can get involved with is Engineers Without Borders. Similar to the widely known Médecin Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), EWB strives to improve the livelihoods of people in developing countries by implementing engineering solutions for water management and much more. Learn more about EWB at http://ubc.ewb.ca!
The many other community service based organizations on campus can be found by searching all AMS clubs on the AMS link at http://salink.ams.ubc.ca, or by attending Club Days and keeping an eye out for their booths.
UBC Rec is another great way to get involved on campus. You can join intramural teams and volunteer to help out run their leagues or major events, like Storm the Wall. Visit their website at http://www.rec.ubc.ca/ to find out more about how you can stay active and give back to the UBC community at the same time!
Get involved and give back to the community, it’s good for your soul!
+Why should I get involved on campus?
Becoming a part of the UBC community is something that will carry forward through your university career, help you to meet incredible people and give you the opportunity to gain that little bit extra in your years here.
By being involved you open yourself up to new opportunities and likely at some point you will do something that you never expected you would be doing. The leadership skills and social networks that you gain at UBC will benefit you for the rest of your life and professional career.
+What can I do with the Engineering Undergraduate Society?
The EUS is all 3800 undergraduate engineering students at UBC and the challenge for the Executive is to provide services to all of these students. The Society organizes and supports academic, professional, and social services and events. There is always a need for extra hands and minds in executing events and in planning new initiatives to provide more to all engineering students.
You can check out the Get Involved page here. To help out or give new ideas feel free to email Lin Watt at president@ubcengineers.ca or approach any executive member at a Tuesday meeting or at one of our Frosh week booths.